Padded brassiere



Dec. 7, 1965 A. A. GLASSER 3,221,748

PADDED BRASSIERE Filed Jan. 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- ALBA-ETAL 64:5:52

Dec. 7, 1965 A. A. GLASSER PADDED BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan.5, 1964 INVENTOR.

4448527 A. GLflSSEE firraeusya.

United States Patent 3,221,748 PADDED BRASSIERE Albert A. Glasser, 12819Morrison St., North Hollywood, Calif. Filed Jan. 3, 1964, Ser. No.335,511 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-480) This invention relates to brassieres,and particularly to removable pads for brassieres.

In the past it has been common to provide pockets on the inner side ofbrassiere cups for removably accommodating a half pad. The breast tissueis thus pushed upwardly or laterally to achieve a desired form. Forvarious reasons, the wearer of such a brassiere often desires to adjustthe position of such pad in order to achieve a greater or lesser degreeof uplift or a greater or lesser degree of lateral support. Yet thisadjustment cannot be accomplished.

It has been proposed to utilize a series of fastener elements either onthe pad or the brassiere cup selectively cooperable with a companionfastener element on the opposite member. This has not been successfulbecause of the fact that only a few limited adjustments can be madewhereas an infinite number of adjustments are desirable. Accordingly,the primary object of this invention is to provide a brassiere and padcombination in which the pad can be secured in any one of an infinitenumber of positions and in any one of an infinite number of angularorientations. A companion object of this invention is to provide abrassiere and pad combination of this character in which the detachablefastener elements do not in any way interfere with the comfortable useof the brassiere and in which repeated laundering does not interferewith the proper operation thereof.

In order to accomplish the foregoing objects, the inside layer of thebrassiere cup is made of fabric having a substantial nap characteristic,and the inside of the pad carries the hooked Velcro or equivalentelement. The nap is interlocked by the hooked element wherever the padis positioned. The area of the nap which forms a fastener element whenexposed beyond the pad is of course soft and comfortable.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objectswhich may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of severalembodiments of the invention. For this purpose, there are shown afewforms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the presentspecification, and which drawings, unless as otherwise indicated, aretrue scale. These forms will now be described in detail, illustratingthe general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood thatthis detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, sincethe scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a typical brassierestructure incorporating the present invention and taken from the insidethereof;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along a plane correspondingto line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a partial pad structure adapted to beafiixed to the brassiere;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along a planecorresponding to line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are elevational views similar to FIG. 3,illustrating modified pad structures; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along a plane correspondingto line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a brassiere structure 10 that may be ofany desired form. In the present instance, the brassiere is of thestrapless type, having bodyice encircling member 12 provided with twoupwardly opening arcuate recesses 14 and 16 at which cup structures 18and 20 are attached. The cup structures 18 and 20 may be of any desiredform, except that the inner fabric layer, as at 22 (FIG. 2), is made ofmaterial having a substantial nap characteristic.

Cooperable respectively with the cup structures 18 and 20 are detachablepads 24 and 26. One of the pads 24 is shown in FIG. 3. A description ofone suffices as a description of the other.

The pad structure 24 may be of any desired shape. In the presentinstance it is shaped so as to fit a wide segment of the conical cup.The pad may be placed in the bottom of the cup, with the lower edge 28of the pad substantially coincident with the lower edge of the cupstructure 18 so as to form a shelf-like support for the breast. In thepresent instance, the pad 24 has a molded foam rubber filler 30 (FIG. 2)enclosed by a cover 32 of suitable soft fabric material.

Attached to the inside of the pad 24, that is, on that side opposed tothe inner fabric 22 of the cup 18, is a fastener element 34. Thefastener element 34 includes a fabric base 36 from which stiff hook-likeelements 38 project. The base 36 from which the hook-like elements 38project is available commercially under the trade name of Velcro.

The hook-like elements 38 are capable of inter-meshing with the nap ofthe fabric layer 22. Wherever the pad is placed in the cup, the nap isavailable to form a companion fastener element. Accordingly, it ispossible, within limits, to position the pad 24 at any desired locationand furthermore at any desired angular orientation to achieve any degreeof uplift or lateral thrust. The possible positions of the pad 24 are,accordingly, virtually limitless, and the user may adjust the pad asdesired. Furthermore, the inner layer 22 forming a fastener elementcooperable with the fastener element 34 is itself homogeneous andcapable of comfortable contact with the breast tissue. Accordingly, thepad 24 can be re moved and the brassiere structure used without anyalteration in the brassiere structure.

In FIG. 5 there is illustrated a pad structure 40 that is adapted tooccupy the major portion of a different brassiere cup. Attached to theinner side of the pad 40 are a number of small fastener elements 42, 44,46 and 48 capable of engaging the nap of the inner fabric layer of suchbrassiere and at widely spaced points, thus providing a firm anchorageof the pad 41) thereto. in other respects, the pad 40 is similar to thepad structure 24,

In FIGS. 6 and 7 other pad structures 50 and 52 are illustrated. It ispossible to use any one of a number of different pad structures inconjunction with a single brassiere.

The pad structure 54 shown in FIG. 8 has a pair of fastener elements 60and 62 located on opposite sides of the pad. Located between each of thefastener elements is a stiffener or stay 64 (FIG, 9) in order to providesubstantial reinforcement to the combined structure.

The inventor claims:

1. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; body encircling means forholding the breast cups in place upon the body of the wearer; saidbreast cups having a layer exposed on the inside of the cups made ofmaterial having a substantial nap characteristic; a pad for each cupadapted to be selectively positioned in the cup and having an insidesurface; and a plurality of fastener elements having the characteristicsof Velcro hooks and attached to the said inside surface of the pad andcapable of interlocking the nap of said material for securing the pad atsaid selected position, said pad substantially overlying said fastenerelements; said pad, when in any selected position, overlying only a partof said inside exposed layer.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said hook fastenerelements are supported upon a plurality of fabric strips, the fabricstrips in turn being attached to the inside surface of said pad inmutually spaced relationship, together with stiffener elements betweenthe fabric strips and said pad.

3. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; body encircling means forholding the breast cups in place upon the body of the wearer; saidbreast cups each providing an inwardly exposed layer made of softmaterial having a substantial nap characteristic; and a pad for eachcup; each pad having an inside surface substantially conformable to thecorresponding cup contour, said pad having a small area relative to itscup to leave a substantial portion of said cup exposed for contact withthe body of the wearer,

said pad being selectively positionable in its cup throughoutsubstantially the entire area of the said cup; and a plurality offastener elements having the characteristics of Velcro hooks attached tothe inside surface of the pad for releasably engaging the nap of saidmaterial for detachably securing the pad in a selected position; saidpad substantially overlying said fastener elements, said pad, when inany selected position, overlying only a part of said inwardly exposedlayer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,077,197 2/1963Garfinkel 128-479 3,086,529 4/1963 Munz et al 1285l7 3,093,139 6/1963Plehn 128--479 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A BRASSIERE: A PAIR OF BREAST CUPS; BODY ENCIRCLING MEANS FORHOLDING THE BREAST CUPS IN PLACE UPON THE BODY OF THE WEARER; SAIDBREAST CUPS HAVING A LAYER EXPOSED ON THE INSIDE THE CUPS MADE OFMATERIAL HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL NAP CHARACTERISTIC; A PAD FOR EACH CUPADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY POSITIONED IN THE CUP AND HAVING AN INSIDESURFACE; AND A PLURALITY OF FASTENER ELEMENTS HAVING THE CHARACTERISTICSOF VELCRO HOOKS AND ATTACHED TO THE SAID INSIDE SURFACE OF THE PAD ANDCAPABLE OF INTERLOCKING THE NAP OF SAID MATERIAL FOR SECURING THE PAD ATSAID SELECTED POSITION, SAID PAD SUBSTANTIALLY OVERLYING SAID FASTENERELEMENTS; SAID PAD, WHEN IN ANY SELECTED POSITION, OVERLYING ONLY A PARTOF SAID INSIDE EXPOSED LAYER.